It's Time for a Change
by elsiecarson
Summary: After a particularly gruesome case Mac shows up at Stella's place in the middle of the night having not slept yet. Confessions happen when Mac decides he's ready for a change in his life.
1. Midnight Confessions

Stella Bonasera groans as she hears a knock on the door of her apartment. She slowly crawls out of bed and walks in the direction of her front door. She looks through the peep hole and standing in her hallway is her partner, Mac Taylor. Stella quickly unlocks the door and lets Mac into her small, New York apartment. "What's up Mac?" Stella asks with concern in her voice. It's three in the morning.

Mac doesn't say anything as he slowly walks across the floor and flops onto the sofa. "I don't know why I'm here. I just felt like I shouldn't be along and I got in my car and I ended up here." Mac puts his head in his hands.

Stella pops a cork on a bottle of red wine. She pours each of them a glass. She sits next to Mac on the couch and sips her wine. She's wearing a pink tank top and pink and red plaid pyjama pants. "It doesn't matter why you're here. I'm just glad you are." Stella says quietly.

"I'm just tired of being alone. I never thought that I'd say that after I lost Claire, but something doesn't feel right about being alone now." Mac says as he sips his wine. Normally he doesn't share his emotions so readily.

"I know what you mean. When I became a cop I said I would never marry so my family would never have to bury me. It seems silly now because the loneliness can be overwhelming." Stella whispers as she turns towards Mac.

Mac reaches for Stella's hand as she pours out her thoughts to her best friend. "I've been foolish and self-centred. I needed to say something earlier." Mac confesses.

"You can't just blame yourself, Mac. It's not as if I said anything either." Stella says softly.

"I'm going to say now what I should have said a long time ago." Mac takes a deep breath. "I love you, Stella. It shouldn't have taken me so long to tell you." Mac stands up and walks to the window. He doesn't want to see Stella's face when she rejects him. He doesn't hear the rejection come, instead he feels a soft hand on his shoulder. When he turns Stella has a lone tear running down her face.

"Don't blame yourself, Mac. I'm glad you told me. It's healthy for you to have moved on." Stella says gently.

Mac quickly interrupts. "Don't sugarcoat your rejection, Stella. It doesn't help me at all."

"I'm not rejecting you, Mac. In fact, it's exactly the opposite. I love you, Mac. I was just scared to say anything because you still loved Claire and I didn't want to ruin the relationship we already have." Stella protests quickly. She wraps her arms around Mac's waist and leans her head on his chest.

Mac weaves his fingers into Stella's hair and holds her closely. He feels comfortable with Stella in his arms in a different way from the way that he was comfortable with Peyton.

"Are you staying the night?" Stella asks with her face buried in the crook of Mac's neck.

"Yeah, I think I will stay. It's feel right tonight." Mac says quietly as he walks over and flicks the stereo on.

"Good thing you have an overnight bag here then. It might be awkward for you to sleep naked next to me for the first time." Stella says cheekily.

"You want me to sleep in the same bed with you, really?" Mac asks hesitantly.

"Of course I do. If you're staying I want you lying next to me like I've always wanted you to be." Stella says as she sets her wine down.

Mac smiles. He understands now just how much Stella cares about him. He yawns slowly as Stella snuggles against him. "What do you mean like you always wanted me to be?" Mac asks softly.

"I've imagined this moment over and over in my head because I never thought this would happen in real life. Are you tired? Should we head to bed?" Stella asks as she stretches.

"I think so. I sat up for a long time wondering what to do." Mac says as he stretches too.

"You haven't slept yet, have you?"


	2. You Need to Sleep

Stella stands up, grabs Mac's hand, and walks him towards the bedroom. She pulls Mac's overnight bag out from under the bed and tosses it on the side of the bed Mac will be sleeping on.

"No, I haven't slept yet, but something tells me that won't surprise you." Mac says as he pulls his sweater off and puts his t-shirt he normally sleeps in on. Stella tries not to stare. Since she's already in her pyjamas she just climbs into bed. Mac is rummaging in the bottom of his bag and he comes out with toothbrush. "Can I use your toothpaste?" he asks hesitantly.

"Of course. It's in the medicine cabinet. Just don't analyze me based on what's in my medicine cabinet because I know we do that with victims and suspects." Stella says teasingly.

"I'm sure your medicine cabinet doesn't have anything strange or peculiar about it and even if it did I'm not here to judge." Mac says as he walks into the bathroom.

Stella walks into the bathroom just as Mac is spitting out his toothpaste. "How do you look that good just spitting out toothpaste?" Stella asks marvelling at Mac.

"Just talented I guess." Mac says and then gargles with water. He walks back into the bedroom and Stella closes the bathroom door so she can actually use the bathroom. She realizes, as she's washing her hands, that Mac still had his jeans on when he left the bathroom. When Stella goes back out to the bedroom Mac has already climbed into bed. Stella is slightly disappointed that she didn't get to see Mac take his pants off. She throws the blankets back on her side of the bed and hops in. She notices that for the first time, and Stella's seen Mac late at night many times, Mac is just wearing his boxers. Stella carefully rolls over and turns out the light and cuddles down into the covers. Winter in New York is particularly cold this year. She snuggles into Mac's side and lays her head on his shoulder. Mac lays awake for a while watching Stella sleep. Her face is flushed a lovely, soft pink. He's finally comfortable staying in someone else's apartment. He starts falling asleep, happily, with Stella in his arms. At some point during the night Stella sprawls out across the bed like she normally does. Her leg ends up across Mac's thighs and one of her arms ends up across his face and lands with a smack. Mac snores, but Stella is such a sound sleeper that he doesn't wake her. luckily the phone doesn't ring for them to go to a crime scene all night.

Mac squidges his nose up when he discovers Stella's arm across his face. He carefully moves her arm, trying not to wake her, but when he does that he discovers that he can't move Stella's got her leg wrapped around him. Mac has to wait for Stella to wake up, but he also needs to pee and hopes she will wake up soon. While Stella is still asleep she rolls over releasing Mac. He quickly jumps out of bed and heads in the direction of the bathroom. A rush of cool air hits Stella's back when Mac throws back the covers. Stella groans when she feels the cool air and she quickly pulls the covers back up. She doesn't wake up, but definitely feels the change in temperature. Mac climbs back into bed and snuggles in behind Stella. He's gotten cold in his trip to the bathroom. They both have the day off and for once they're actually sleeping in.


	3. Coffee and Kisses

Mac gets up before Stella and goes into the kitchen to make coffee for them. Stella rolls over and runs her fingers through her hair. She smells fresh coffee and she quickly jumps out of bed, grabs her robs off the chair next to the bed and wanders into the kitchen. Mac pours Stella a cup of coffee and kisses her cheek as he passes it to her. Stella sets her coffee down, places her hands on each side of Mac's face, pulls him closer to her, and kisses him on the lips.

Mac pulls away slowly from the kiss. He's trying to catch his breath. "I certainly wasn't expecting that." Mac whispers as he tucks a curl of Stella's hair behind her ear.

"You looked so handsome as you pulled away from the first kiss that I just had to kiss you again." Stella says as she wraps her arms around Mac's waist.

"That kiss was amazing. I can't believe it took me this long to kiss you." Mac says as he kisses the top of Stella's head.

"What are we doing for breakfast?" Stella asks as she sips her coffee.

"I could whip something up for us or we can go out for breakfast." Mac says naturally.

"You'd be willing to cook for me? You never cook." Stella teases.

"I know I don't normally cook, but I'm willing to attempt to cook for you. I will try to cook breakfast for you." Mac says as he grabs an apple from the basket on the counter.

"Why don't we just go out for breakfast? We won't be long. There a great little café on the corner." Stella suggests. She doesn't want to admit to Mac that she doesn't trust his cooking.

"You don't trust me to cook, do you?" Mac teases gently. "That's all right. We'll go to the café for breakfast.

Stella walks into the bedroom carrying her coffee mug. She pulls a purple sweater out of a drawer and a pair of jeans and boots out of her closet. Mac smiles as Stella peels off her pink tank and clasps her purple bra on. She slips her purple cowl neck sweater over her head. Mac pulls his clean outfit out of his overnight bag. Stella walks over to her underwear drawer and pulls out a black thong. She slips her pyjama pants off and pulls her thong and jeans on. When she turns towards Mac he's fully dressed and just about to slip his feet into his shoes. "You look wonderful!" Stella says as she gives Mac the once over.

"You look phenomenal in purple, Stella. You should wear it more often." Mac says as he pulls his winter overcoat on.

"You are a flatterer, Mac Taylor. I appreciate the compliment though." Stella says as she buttons her winter coat.

"Aren't I allowed to compliment a beautiful woman when she looks lovely?" Mac teases Stella.

"Of course you are, but you don't need to gush so much. I still want you to be honest with me about how I look." Stella says as she locks the door to her apartment.


	4. Caught in the Elevator

Mac puts his arm around Stella's shoulder as they walk down the hall. One of Stella's neighbours walks out of their apartment and meets Stella and Mac in the hall. "Hi Stella. Hi Mac." Evelyn says sweetly. "How are things going?"

"Things are going fine, Evelyn, thank you for asking." Stella says as she and Mac and Evelyn get in the elevator.

"You two look cosy together. You've always been close, but there's something different today." Evelyn's seen the two of them together many times.

"We finally admitted out feelings for each other last night when Mac showed up at my apartment very late last night." Stella admits to her neighbour.

"Are you happy now, Stella? You've spent so much time waiting for the right man." Evelyn asks.

"I am happy. Whether this particular man is exactly the right man for me remains to be seen, but the future looks very promising indeed." Stella says as she looks at Mac with teasing eyes.

"What are you two up to today then?" Evelyn asks as all three exit the elevator.

"We're going for breakfast and then we're actually taking a day off. We don't know what we're doing after breakfast." Stella says as they reach the front door. "Have a great day, Evelyn!"


	5. Going Out for Breakfast

Stella and Mac walks the opposite way from Evelyn towards the café. Stella breathes in the smell of fresh coffee as they approach the hostess. "Hey, Stella!" Victoria says as she recognizes her friend.

"Hey Victoria!" Stella says with a smile. "Can we get a table for two, please?"

"A table for two? Things are looking up for you." Victoria says as she grabs a couple of menus and seats her at a booth. Mac follows the two giggling ladies to the table. Victoria smiles at Mac and then says, "If you hurt her, I'll have to kill you."

"You're not the only one who'll want my head if I hurt Stella. Our colleagues will want me punished." Mac chuckles at Victoria. Stella's friends are very loyal to her.

Victoria smiles at Mac. "Good thing you have a good sense of humour. Can I get you two something to drink to start?"

"I'll have a black coffee, please." Mac says as he opens the menu.

"I'll have a coffee as well. Two creams, please." Stella smiles at Victoria. She pulls a menu towards her, but doesn't open it. She already knows what she wants. She orders the same thing every time she's in the café.

"What are you going to have?" Mac asks as he quickly scans the menu.

"Sausage and eggs with hashbrowns and pancakes. It's what I always order." Stella says as she rearranges cutlery. "What are you going to have?"

"Eggs Benedict with hashbrowns and a fresh fruit salad to start." Mac says as he closes his menu and sets it aside.

Victoria comes back with two steaming mugs of coffee. "Are you ready to order?" When Mac and Stella nod Victoria pulls out her notepad. "Your usual, Stella?" Stella just nods. "What can I get you?"

"I'll have the eggs Benedict with hashbrowns and fruit salad, please. Can I get the Hollandaise sauce on the side?" Mac requests firmly.

"Of course, I'll get right on that." Victoria says as she collects the menus.

"Do you like the café?" Stella asks as she sips her coffee.

"It's cute. It seems exactly like the kind of place you'd like." Mac says as he stirs a teaspoon of sugar into his coffee. "How do you like your eggs?"

"Scrambled or over-hard. That's the only two ways I'll eat eggs in restaurants." Stella says as she frowns about the other types of eggs.

"What other kinds of eggs do you like? Surely you don't just eat two kinds of eggs at home." Mac teases Stella as he looks at her over the rim of his coffee cup.

"I'll eat poached, soft-boiled, hard-boiled eggs, but only if I can make them myself. I'm very particular about my eggs." Stella says as she sets her coffee cup on the edge of the table to get another cup of coffee.

"Don't you like eggs over easy? I thought everyone liked over easy eggs?" Mac asks incredulously.

"I don't like runny egg yolk unless it's a soft boiled egg. It's a texture I don't enjoy." Stella says as Victoria comes by with Mac's fruit salad.

Victoria pours Mac and Stella fresh cups of coffee. "Your breakfast should be up soon."

"Do you want some of my fruit salad? I've got more than I thought." Mac asks generously.

Stella smiles and picks up her fork and helps Mac eat his fruit salad. Mac leaves the cantaloupe for Stella. He's never liked it. "Aren't you going to eat the cantaloupe?" Stella asks quietly.

"Go ahead and eat it. I don't like cantaloupe at all." Mac says as he finishes his part of the fruit salad.

Victoria brings their hot food to the table and takes away the fruit salad bowl. Stella spread butter on her pancakes and then pours the out syrup over them. Mac lets the Hollandaise sauce drip out of the tin onto the eggs Benedict.

"You used all your Hollandaise sauce anyway, despite asking for it on the side. What was the point?" Stella asks sarcastically.

"I find that if I ask for the Hollandaise sauce on the side they don't give me as much, so I can use all of it and not feel as bad." Mac says letting his secret out.

"Mac Taylor that is sly. Is that how you've managed to stay so fit?" Stella asks as she sprinkles salt on her eggs.

Mac knows Stella is teasing him, but he answers the question seriously anyway. "Of course not. I stay fit by drinking lots of coffee, not sleeping a lot, and exercising more than I should."

Stella smiles at Mac. The easy rapport they've always had had stayed even though the confessed their feelings to each other. "What are we going to do today?" Stella asks curiously.

"Why don't we just have a quiet day? We can just laze around the apartment and watch movies. Did you have something better in mind?" Mac asks raising an eyebrow at Stella.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea. We have to do anything today if we don't want to. I just hope our phones don't ring for a case today." Stella says with a smile. She can't believe she actually has a full day to spend with Mac.

Mac smiles and puts twenty-five dollars down on the table to pay for breakfast.


End file.
